Shinsuke Nakamura Discusses Retirement Plans and WWE Goals

Nakamura revealed that he’s not “retiring anytime soon.” It sounds like five years is his max with the sport. He said:

“Luckily, I don’t have many injuries, so it’s not like I’m retiring anytime soon. But nothing lasts forever. If you told me I’d still be wrestling in ten years, I’d have to question that. Five years? Maybe. No one knows what tomorrow brings, so I just have to do what I can now. That’s what keeps me going—the belief that I can still do it. (h/t: WrestlePurists)

Nakamura just made his return to the ring on the October 10 episode of WWE SmackDown. When then-United States Champion Sami Zayn was doing his weekly open challenges, Nakamura came out, shocking the Perth, Australia crowd. Sadly, the title match was ruined by a returning Tama Tonga, who attacked both Nakamura and Zayn. Before his October 10 return, the last time fans saw Nakamura on SmackDown was on the June 13, 2025, episode, where he lost in the first round of the King of the Ring 2025. The reason behind his absence from June to October was that WWE had no creative plans for him.

What Else Keeps Him Going?

Nakamura isn’t ready to return because he wants that WWE World Heavyweight Championship and to be a trailblazer for Japanese wrestlers. There is no reason why the former NJPW star hasn’t been the champ yet. He’s been with WWE since 2016. Titles that he has held are the U.S. Title, NXT Championship, Intercontinental Title, and the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. He said:

“For me, it’s the World Heavyweight Championship. That’s what I’m after. When you think about the things Japanese wrestlers, especially men, haven’t yet broken through on in America, that’s it. I don’t know if it’ll serve as proof of anything, but sometimes I wonder—if I can’t do it, what happens then? I just want to leave behind a path, a sense of hope, for the next generation of Japanese and Asian wrestlers.”

This past weekend, Nakamura made his return to Japan. Last Saturday, October 18, at WWE’s SuperShow in Tokyo, he and CM Punk defeated Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker. The night before, Friday, October 17, he was also in action in Tokyo, and there he teamed with Jey Uso to defeat Reed and Breakker. Anyway, it’s time for Nakamura to get into the title picture, especially before he decides to hang up his boots.